SUPPORT THAT GOES A LONG WAY: The Laurel Foundation visits VillageReach

In May, 2005 two staff members of the Laurel Foundation, a long-time supporter of VillageReach, made the 24 hour trip from Seattle to Cabo Delgado to visit our demonstration project. Jenny and Shauna were there to see first-hand the conditions at health clinics in one of the poorest regions in the world, and to meet VillageReach's Cabo Delgado team working to make a difference.

On the road with our field team in Cabo Delgado, Jenny and Shauna visited some of the most remote health clinics in Mozambique, including two of that are reachable only by boat or plane. After meeting patients, health workers and getting an inside look at our work, they shared their reflections on the experience.    

                                                  

                                                                                                                           Jenny: Overall, I had seen a lot of images already.  After he came back from trips to Mozambique, Blaise would show me albums of pictures he had taken.  They were filled with images of women and babies waiting to see doctors at the clinics. 

When we arrived, it was a lot like I expected- except that there were more people, more kids, more babies, and it was hot, really hot.  The ones who could were sitting in the shade of the buildings and the rest were in the sun.  Some of them had walked up to two hours to get to the clinic, with their babies on their backs, and now they were waiting in the sun to see a nurse. 

There are only 400 doctors in the whole country.  With 19 million people, that's one doctor for every 47,500 people.  Most clinics have nurses, not doctors.

Shauna:  After visiting headquarters in Seattle before heading to Mozambique, I thought I had a good grasp of what VillageReach did and how they helped in rural communities.  Upon arriving, however, I was amazed at how thorough and dedicated the program and personnel really are.

The vaccinations that VillageReach delivers are central to health maintenance, which in Seattle one might not think twice about. In Mozambique, however, these medical necessities are even more important for people whose immune systems may be compromised by unbalanced diets and/or unsteady supplies of potable water.

                                                     

Jenny: The communities of Ibo Island and Matemo Island are only accessible by airplane or boat.  They have roughly 5,000 and 1,500 residents, respectively.  VillageReach staff deliver all of the medicinal supplies and vaccines to these clinics every month, which is amazing considering the time and distance involved.

It was striking to me that the clinic staff did such a large number of births- one clinic we visited had an average of two births a day.  Some of these clinics have no running water and no electricity or lights, except for the propane-powered lanterns provided by VillageReach.

Shauna: (On this visit) I got a chance to see the commitment, organization and care that betters the lives of thousands of people.  I feel that VillageReach is making a great change and I am honored that I was able to see how they help.

Jenny: VillageReach seems to operate from a position of both challenge and respect: respecting the fact that Mozambique has limited resources and significant need, and that the health care staff is dedicated to serving their people; and at the same time, challenging the doctors, nurses, and the Ministry of Health to create and maintain a high-quality health care system.

I came away with a distinct sense of hope for the future of health care in Mozambique. VillageReach has positioned itself as a partner with the health system there, which creates a shared goal among everyone involved: providing quality healthcare to the citizens of Mozambique.

                                                                                                                                                        To learn more about the Laurel Foundation, click here.

To find out how you can help VillageReach improve health care in low-income countries click here.